As this week is the first Sunday of the month we will be celebrating the sacrament of communion. If you are joining us online you are invited to have bread and juice available so we can all eat and drink together.
The Scripture Readings this week are:
- Matthew 21:1-11
- Matthew 26:17-30
- Philippians 2:5-11
The Sermon title is Poured Out
Early Thoughts: In Matthew 26 we read: "While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."
In the other Gospel accounts of the Last Supper similar language is used. Luke (and Paul in 1 Corinthians 11) include words like "which is given for you" after the breaking of the bread. As we approach Good Friday and trial and execution (judicial murder if you prefer) maybe we should pause and reflect on the language we use around the sacrament.
Palm Sunday is a pivot point in our story. We begin the service on a note of triumph with a parade and promise and hope. But even in the midst of our celebration we can see a shadow on the horizon. All is not well with the world.
What does it mean to describe Jesus body as broken for us? What does it mean to describe the blood poured out for us? I ask this also thinking of the passage from Philippians we read this week.
Many scholars believe that these verses contain part of an ancient Christological [Christology is the branch of theology that talks about who we understand Jesus to be] hymn, which would make this among the earliest Christian musical pieces we have (does it count as a musical piece if we only have the words???). Paul's description of Jesus in the first half of this hymn, in my reading, goes well with the imagery of the words of institution -- broken for you, poured out for you.
There are many ways we can understand the communion meal. I believe that at different times we raise up different understandings. Certainly one of those understandings is to highlight the sacrificial nature of our faith story. Jesus embarks on a path for the glory of God's Reign, knowing what the likely result would be. Or in a more traditional understanding, Jesus take the place of the sin offering in the Temple, and makes that sort of sacrifice. Is that what it means to be poured out, to empty oneself for the sake of humanity?
This sacrificial understanding of Christ's work is not often raised up in the United Church (in my experience at least). It seems to be something that makes us uncomfortable. Certainly this is not my preferred understanding of the Communion meat (I personally prefer the banquet that gives us a foretaste of the banquet at the end of time). But I have come to learn that sometimes we need to intentionally sit with the things that make us uncomfortable.
What does it say to you to talk about Jesus' body and blood broken and poured out for the world, for you? How does that cause us to respond?
--Gord
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